Sergeant

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

7/2/1962

Special Act Award (Gold)

At approximately 12:15 on Monday July 2, 1962, Sergeant Roy B. Kardell, assigned to Isolation-Condemned Row First Watch at the California State Prison at San Quentin, was alerted to possible trouble in the row as Officer C. L. Deatrick had not returned to his station in the gun cage of the isolation- condemned row area. He left the office where he had been posting the row log for the day and found himself confronted by an inmate with a revolver in his hand. The inmate ordered Sergeant Kardell to lie down on the floor. Sergeant Kardell decided to try and tackle the inmate and when he leaned forward to do so, the inmate struck Sergeant Kardell on the head with the revolver. Sergeant Kardell was then bound and placed in his office. Fiver other inmates were present during this time including one armed with a riot gun taken from Officer Deatrick. The inmate armed with the riot gun continually threated Sergeant Kardell and Officer Deatrick; he stated that he wouldn't hesitate to shoot as he had shot a cop before. At approximately 12:45 a.m., the inmates realized it was time for the Officers to make check calls and one inmate called the operator purporting to be Sergeant Kardell. Officer Deatrick was forced to make his own telephone call from the gun cage telephone. When it became time to report the inmate count, one of the inmates dialed the operator and ordered Sergeant Kardell to give the count. Sergeant Kardell realized that the count is normally reported to the control Sergeant but as a ruse, he gave the operator the count, hoping the operator would understand that there was trouble in the row. Realizing there had been a mistake, the inmates held a 38 caliber revolver to Sergeant Kardell's head and ordered him to dial the right number. Sergeant Kardell told them to dial the correct number and upon hearing the voice of the control room sergeant, Sergeant Kardell stated "trouble in the row." This was heard by the inmates, one of whom said, "you really loused up, now we are going to kill you". Because of this heroic act, the six inmates were confined to the isolation condemned row area and as a result, there was no further damage in the Institution and no one else was injured or killed.